Disconnect After 1 Second on Windows 8

[doke01]

Based on my testing it has nothing to do with physical connections.  I thought there were problems with mine too until I resolved it for me.  I think it is a timing or resource contention issue.  When you plug it in and it fails it is as if the Windows is expecting a specific response and is not getting it in a timely manner so it drops off and tries again.  When you have a sketch properly uploaded and functional it doesn't drop off.  It only drops off when the Arduino software is running and set up for upload.  Once the upload fails then it will drop on and off even without the Arduino app running.  Windows 8 is expecting to see something that it is not when the upload is corrupted.  When I moved a Windows 7 PC and got a proper upload to complete I could move it back to the Windows 8 PC and the Digistamp would run the app fine. I do not know enough about the driver and underlying code to go further. 

I can replicate the success and the failure scenarios.  If there is some way to monitor or log what is going on that you could suggest I will give it a shot. Something like Wireshark but for USB is what I'm thinking.

[Dragon]

I'm not sure what else to say except that I think it might be machine/USB controller specific

To test that theory, I installed Ubuntu on my desktop in dual boot configuration.
I installed Java and then downloaded the Linux folder listed in the wiki and extracted it.
When I tried to run the arduino launcher, it showed a console and printed out an error message with a stack trace (forgot to log it, will update with edit when I see it again).
I downloaded the Linux files directly from the www.arduino.cc site and ran the arduino launcher and it worked fine. I tried to merge the folders but got several compiler errors.
So I think the Linux files for Digispark are broken.
I will keep trying on the Linux front and update as I get more results.

On the Windows side, I uninstalled the Digispark drivers.
Then I uninstalled all other drivers for USB devices that I am not using.
Reinstalled the Digispark drivers and tried to upload. Still failed.
I'll keep trying on the Windows front and update as I get more results.

When you have a sketch properly uploaded and functional it doesn't drop off.  It only drops off when the Arduino software is running and set up for upload.  Once the upload fails then it will drop on and off even without the Arduino app running.

Yep same here.

if you aren't able to get them to work and don't have another machine to use them with email me at support at digistump dot com and we'll work something out.

Hope it doesn't come to that.
I'm looking forward to building stuff with the Digisparks!
Perhaps these are in fact faulty Digiparks? I know they worked 100% with Win7 but maybe there's something wrong with them that's preventing them from working with Win8?

[digistump]

@doke1 and @Dragon -


It is a timing/resource issue - no doubt - but the chain of connection Operating System and Driver -> USB Controller -> Digispark without a doubt has a huge influence, which is why some people cannot get it to work no matter what and then they use a hub and it works. Others can't get it to work with their hub, but a direct plug in works. USB 3.0 controllers have many issues with lots of even non virtual usb hardware, and also allow of lower voltages which cause havoc on the few controllers using the lower end of the voltage spec. Virtual USB, that the Digispark uses is a delicate thing, and we worked hard to make it as stable as possible, but like all V-USB based projects (Blink(1), USBasp, etc) it isn't perfect and given the about 6,500 Digispark users their is probably a Digispark on just about every type of machine.


I wish there was a wireshark for USB - I have no great answer there there are some software "usb sniffers" but I never had any luck with them. Some of the linux options are a bit better - and in fact wireshark for linux works on USB.


@Dragon - Ubuntu 32 or 64- bit? Did you go through the linux troubleshooting section yet, specifically the udev rules?

When you have a sketch properly uploaded and functional it doesn't drop off.  It only drops off when the Arduino software is running and set up for upload.  Once the upload fails then it will drop on and off even without the Arduino app running.

Yep same here.

Interesting - when an upload fails it just waits in waiting for upload mode - this points to a timing issue when it is in upload mode - again though this makes me wonder if it is related to the USB controller, because I've now confirmed not only that it works on Win8x64 for me, but for many - something else must be in play, granted that something could be exacerbated by Win8x64 or not. Combining this with the how doke01 got his to work leads me to make a wild guess that the Digispark isn't getting back the response it wants in time over USB, which would explain why other devices could influence it - a completely wild guess - but something I'll have to look into more.

Perhaps these are in fact faulty Digiparks? I know they worked 100% with Win7 but maybe there's something wrong with them that's preventing them from working with Win8?

I highly doubt it, because whatever the issue it seems to be between the firmware and the USB controller/driver/computer. The hardware is super simple and the firmware tends to not work at all if it isn't perfectly uncorrupt. That said I'll never pretend to know everything that can go wrong - so if you'd like me to send you some new ones and send yours back (just the Digisparks) - I'd be more than happy to - just drop me an email at support at digistump dot com


Thank you both for all your work trying to figure this out and solve it - I'll keep at it on my end as well.


Question:


What is the make and model of your windows 8 x64 machines?

[Dragon]

@Dragon - Ubuntu 32 or 64- bit? Did you go through the linux troubleshooting section yet, specifically the udev rules?

Ubuntu 64 bit.
I did go through the troubleshooting but I am fairly new to Linux so I don't understand it all that well.
One thing I did notice, towards the end of my tests, when I tried to redownload the Linux Digispark files and extracted the files, the resulting files were still archived, but corrupted; I couldn't extract them again.

What is the make and model of your windows 8 x64 machines?

I have a custom built computer:

• i7 950
• Sabertooth X58
• 24 Gig RAM

[doke01]

I have a the following:


Gateway DX4800-05e
Intel Pentium dual-core E5200(2.50GHz) 64 bit
[/size]2MB L2 Cache[/color]
[/size]6GB DDR2[/color]
[/size]640GB SATA 7200RPM[/color]
[/size]Seagate Momentus XT 750GB SATA 7200RPM[/color]
[/size]Marvell MV-91xx AHCI SATA 6G controller [/color]
[/size]Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9200 (driving 1 display)[/color]
[/size]NVIDEA GeForce GTX 650 Ti (driving 4 displays)[/color]
[/size][/color]
[/size]3 external USB hard drives[/color]
[/size]DVDRAM/CDROM drive[/color]
[/size]Logitech G19 keyboard[/color]
[/size]Logitech Performance MX mouse[/color]
[/size]Logitech HD Webcam C615[/color]
[/size][/color]
[/size][/color]
[/size]Using the standard USB host controller drivers[/color]

[Dragon]

An update:


I recently reformatted my computer.
Outside of the nVidia and Keyboard/Mouse drivers, I hadn't installed anything else.


A few minutes ago, I installed the Digispark drivers and attempted to upload the "Start" sketch to it.
Unfortunately, I got the same results; it was inconsistent and unreliable. I was able to upload twice out of the 15 or so times I tried.


Unfortunately, it looks like the Digispark may not work out for me with my current machine.
I'll have to look into some other options. Does anyone have any suggestion? The Ardweeny and the Femtodunio look about as close as I can get to a Digispark, although they don't have USB.

[DeuxVis]

Have you trying plugging the digispark through a powered USB HUB ?

I have a very old laptop whose old USB 1 ports behaves the way you describe with digisparks.

Things improve (in term of sketch upload success ratio) when I plug it into an externally powered usb hub (or an usb 2 extension card, but that probably doesn't apply for you)

[Dragon]

Have you trying plugging the digispark through a powered USB HUB ?
Things improve (in term of sketch upload success ratio) when I plug it into an externally powered usb hub (or an usb 2 extension card, but that probably doesn't apply for you)

I do not own a powered hub but it may be worth a shot.
If the theory is correct that it is because of the USB controller then the issue could be resolved with a hub.

[DeuxVis]

If you feel like trying upgrading the bootloader, this fix migth be worth a try too.

Bluebie described a simple step by step procedure in that post, you just have to download the binary hex file from the main branch instead of the one she made for me.

[Dragon]

Just as a quick update:

Looks like Erik/Digistump was right. It was a USB controller issue.
I recently changed my motherboard and I'm able to load sketches 100% of the time with no issues

[rAAptor]

I am getting a pretty similar issue where the digispark connects disconnects connects and than does its job.
I am running win10 64bit

[Shaker]

I got the feeling, that it really is hardware-related.
I have access to several systems, from Laptops over Dekstops to small ITX systems, powered by 12V.

My very first Digispark could be programmed without any problems on my Laptop, it was recognized on the ITX system and so was it on another Laptop in my office.

! I am not only talking about the bootloader but also the sketch, which uses the TrinketHidCombo library !

Somehow it broke and I had to replace it, which is now, a few months later:
Other Digisparks from a different supplier behave strangely now. The ITX system got a slightly different mainboard (same chipset, same CPU, just another revision) and it won't accept the Digisparks most of the time. The USB device is not recognized properly. It shows up as "Unknown device" on the ITX system. When I delete the (hidden) devices in the device manager of Windows, sometimes, reconnecting makes it work until I dis- and reconnect it again.
On my Laptop, where everything used to work perfectly, the new DS first seems to be ok. The bootloader is recognized, then the sketch starts and works.
BUT: When I start an upload in the IDE and connect the DS, the bootloader comes up, goes away after 1 second, comes back again and somehow the sketch was uploaded. This used to work differently and more logically half a year ago.

On a desktop PC the sketch won't start at all, the DS is an "Unknown device" here, too, although it's supposed to be a just an HID device.

All system are Win7x64, only the ITX is Win8x64

Makes it a pain to use the DS, if everything is so hardware dependent, although it's standard USB...